07 a 01templates

SAP Workflow Course

Section 07A-01: Templates

November, 2001

SAP Workflow Course – Section 07A-01: Templates 2

Templates

Contents:

• Workflow templates in applications

• Workflow and template documentation

• Enhancing a Template


Templates: Objectives

At the conclusion of this Section, you will be able to:

• Execute the notification of absence workflow template

• Perform a structure search for templates

• Locate workflow template help documentation

• Customize SAP delivered templates

• Explain template review and approval process

• Enhance a Template


Templates: Business Scenario

• Some business processes in SAP are supported by ‘ready to use’ multi-step workflow processes

• These processes are delivered by SAP as SAP workflows

• You must examine these templates in detail

• You need to read through the documentation

• You must work with example templates to become comfortable with basic workflow functionality


More than 100 templates

AMAM

FIFI

Asset Management 10

Financial 22

HR Human Resources 46

Materials Management 16MMMM

Production Planning 11PPPP

PMPM Plant Maintenance

QMQM Quality Management

SMSM Service Management

11

17

4

SAP Business Workflow Template Overview


AMAM Mass processing of assets

FIFI Parked document approval

MMMM Purchase requisitionapproval

PPPP Engineering changerequest

QMQM Quality management

ALE/EDI: IDOC error handlingin inbound processing

PAPA Training and eventmanagement, applicantmanagement

PSPS Purchase order changes for project, actual data entry

Workflow Templates ‘Bestseller’ List


List of assets to be retired(such as asset list, asset directory)

Asset

Asset

Asset

Create work queue

Short text Retire plant 3000

Task ASSET_SALE

Entries for Mass Retirement:

Posting DateDocument DateTransaction TypeAsset Value DataDist. Of Revenue

prop. to APCprop. to NBV

Revenue

User’s Business Workplace

Option to release or process the work queue

Default workflow specifications forasset retirement:

Retirement w/out revenue: ASSET_SCRAP

Retirement with revenue: ASSET_SALE

1

2

3

AM: Mass Retirement of Assets


AM: Mass Changes to Master Data

• Substitution rules to determine

– which master record field is updated with

– which type of new contents under

– which conditions

• SAP Business Workflow

– involves responsible persons in verification

– automates release of mass changes to master data


Approve or RejectApprove or Reject

Invoice Parked

Auto PostAuto Post Modify InvoiceModify Invoice

Approve DollarsApprove Dollars

Approve AccountsApprove Accounts

Call SubworkflowCall Subworkflow

Call SubworkflowCall Subworkflow

Release SuccessfulRelease Successful

EndEnd

Start Workflow

Approve Reject

Invoice CompletedInvoice Completed

Set Release Set Release FlagFlag

FI: Preliminary Posting


Whole Document orLine Item data

Purchase Req

Strategy Search

Release Strategy KH

Char. ValueAcct. Assign. Cat. KPlant 3000Total Value > 25,000

Requires Approval From: L1, L2 ...

StartStartWorkflowWorkflowStartStartWorkflowWorkflow

ReviewReview

CancelledCancelledCancelledCancelled

Notification of Notification of CancellationCancellation

Not. ConfirmedNot. ConfirmedNot. ConfirmedNot. Confirmed

End End WorkflowWorkflowEnd End WorkflowWorkflow

EndedEnded

ReleasedReleasedReleasedReleased RefusedRefusedRefusedRefusedChangedChangedChangedChanged

Notification of Notification of RefusalRefusal

Notification ofNotification ofReleaseRelease



MM: Purchase Requisition Approval


“Engineering Change Management”Eng.Change Eng.Change OpenedOpened

Eng.Change Eng.Change OpenedOpened

Org

aniz

atio

nT

asks

Eng. Change Request Eng. Change Order

Product Manager

ProfitCtr Mgr

ProjectManager

Electr.Engineer

QualityManager

Electr.Engineer

Marketing Manager

Feasibility check

Feasibility check

Check feasibilityof whole

Check feasibilityof whole

ReleasechangeReleasechange

Send changeto do

Send changeto do

CheckchangeCheckchange

ElectricalchangesElectricalchanges

Determineobjects

Determineobjects

Eve

nts

Ob

ject

s

Template

PP: Engineering Change Request (ECM)


Absence Form

Employee

Dates

Reason

Manager’s Business Workplace

Option to release or reject the absence form

HR-Org Structure

Manager PositionManager Position HolderHolderEmployee PositionEmployee Position HolderHolder

Route Review Request

Employee’s Business Workplace

Option to modify and resubmit rejected application

Route Result of Review

Determine Manager

HR: Notification of Absence


Choose Workflow template

Application Components

Cross-Application Components Accounting - General

Financial AccountingTreasury

ControllingInvestment Management

Enterprise Controlling Real Estate Management

Logistics - GeneralSales and Distribution

Materials Management Logistics Execution

SAP Delivered Workflow Templates Structure Search


IDES

Contents Index Search

Basis Components Customizing (BC-CUS) Kernel Components (BC-KRN) Network Integration ABAP Programming and Runtime Environ Basis Services/Communication Interfaces Computing Center Management System Upgrade - General (BC-UPG) Change and Transport System (BC-CTS) Operating System Platforms (BC-OP) Database Interface, Database Platforms Front-end Services (BC-FES) ABAP Workbench (BC-DWB) Documentation and Translation Tools Security (BC-SEC) Component Integration/Installation Business Engineer Business Management (BC-BMT-WFM) SAP Business Workflow

SAP LibraryRelease 4.6A, August 1999

Glossary

Getting Started

Release Notes

Implementation Guide

SAP Help - SAP Library

Contents Index Search BC-Workflow Scenarios in Applications

SAP Help - SAP Library

SAP Business Workflow SAP Reference Documentation BC-Workflow Scenarios in Applications

SAP Delivered Workflow Templates Documentation


Activities for Customizing Templates

• Identify business process to be supported by SAP Business Workflow

• Configure the workflow runtime and development system

• Select template that corresponds to your requirements

• Create organizational plan

• Define possible task agents

• Link tasks to the organizational plan

• Activate event linkage for your workflow


When someone creates a notification of absence

Process:

Example: Workflow for approval procedureExample: Workflow for approval procedure

Gain management and end user approval before continuing!

• Department head decides whether to approve request

• If approved, request is released by HR

• Creator can cancel at any time

• If not approved, request creator decides to withdraw or change

• If request is to be changed, it is returned to creator for update

• Scenario is repeated if changes are made

Identify Business Process


Identify business processIdentify business processIdentify business processIdentify business process

B.1 Design the processB.1 Design the processB.1 Design the processB.1 Design the process

B.2 Implement the workflow B.2 Implement the workflow B.2 Implement the workflow B.2 Implement the workflow

B.3 TestB.3 TestB.3 TestB.3 Test

Is there a template that meets your requirements in

SAP R/3?

A. Use the templateA. Use the templateA. Use the templateA. Use the template

YES NO

Workflow Implementation Steps


III. Enhancing the template

1. Copy the template

2. Make necessary changes

3. Follow process I.

Agent

Position

Org. Unit

1. Change agents and/ordeadlines

II. Extend template

1. Define the responsibilities

2. Enable relevant events

3. Adjust work item text

I. Using template without enhancement

Use Template


Configuring a Template from IMG

• Each template requires some configuration in the Implementation Guide

• Workflow scenario descriptions tell what needs to be configured

– Steps are different for each template

– Steps are within the IMG area where you do the application configuration


Templates: Summary

• How can you find what workflow templates are available?

• Where can you find documentation on the workflow templates?

• You have to define responsibilities and activate the event linkage for using templates

• You can extend existing templates

SAP Workflow Course

Section 7: TemplatesUnit 2: Enhancing a Template


Enhancing a Template

Contents:

• Business processes and workflow

• Step level enhancements

• Deadlines

• Task level enhancements


Enhancing a Template : Objectives

• At the conclusion of this section, you will be able to:

• Copy a workflow template

• Set up and test a simple deadline

• Set up and test an express work item

• List options for selected agent routings


Enhancing a Template: Business Scenario

• The next user test was successful

• Now additional requests pour in

• ‘Vacation Request’ process has generated extensive demand for a more optimized process

• You must look into escalation procedures to achieve a guaranteed maximum process time

• You also need a better routing procedure


Does a SAP workflow already

exist in the standard system?

A.1 Is the Template sufficient?A.1 Is the Template sufficient?

YES NO

A.2 Use as isA.2 Use as is

YES

A.3 Extend or enhance a templateA.3 Extend or enhance a template

NO

Identify business processIdentify business processIdentify business processIdentify business process

B. Create your own workflowB. Create your own workflow

Standard Templates or Enhanced?


Workflow Templates: Flexibility

• Changes within a WF definition

• Deadline management

• Express items

• Versions of workflow definitions

• Modification of agent assignment

• ... without programming


Step Level Enhancements

• Express Items

– Set work item priority to 1

– Express work items in inbox are highlighted in red

• Notification agent

– Assign recipient for task completion notification

– Notification is a pre-assigned text, but it does not inform recipient about results of task

• Secondary, Before and After Method

– For example, assign display method of your object type to the step

• Deadlines


SU MO TU WE TH FR SA

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

8 9 10 11 12 13 1415 16 17 18 19 20 21

22 23 24 25 26 27 28

29 30 31

Deadlines for Workflow Steps

• Deadlines have individual time references and agents

• Available deadlines

– Requested Start

– Requested End

– Latest Start

– Latest End

• Simple vs. modeled deadlines


Simple Deadlines

User definition:

• Assign deadline agent: agent to be notified about missed deadlines (all but requested start)

• System runtime behavior

• Notification message in document inbox of Business Workplace

• If deadline is missed, a missed deadline work item is sent to deadline recipient

– Original work item will stay in worklist of first user group


Workflow Versions

• Several versions of a workflow are possible

• Only one version is active

• If multiple versions exist:

– Running Workflows reference the active version of their start time

• Old versions can be made the active version


• Work item (activity at runtime): Post document 4712

– customer - Manley Corp.– amount of invoice - $258,300

Amount of invoice : < $ 50,000

Amount of invoice : > $ 50,000

Customer names: A-G FI clerks

• Possible agent for Task: Post document

– linked with job: Financial Clerk

• Role :Restriction of agents according to the organizational chart

• Role for responsible agent: Find FI Clerk

– parameter of role : customer nameamount of invoice

Customer names: O - ZCustomer names: O - Z

Role for Financial Clerk

Customer names: H-NCustomer names: H-N


The person subgroups,which are the responsible

agents (they can be a result of a role resolution)

The person subgroup, which are assigned

to the task as a possible agent

The person subgroup,which are the

recipients

The person subgroup,which are the

recipients

SAP Users and Workflow Agents


TeamMemberPosition

TeamMemberPosition

TeamMemberPosition

TeamMemberPosition

TeamMemberPosition

Bert Fred Jo Jim Karl

Note: The Approval task is only connected to the Mgr-job.Note: The Approval task is only connected to the Mgr-job.

• Bert, Fred, Jo, Jim and Karl fill out a vacation request.Whose request will not be approved? Why?

FI Sales Engineering Warehouse Marketing

FI-Mgrchiefposition

SalesMgr chiefposition

EngineeringMgrposition

MarketingMgrposition

Mgr-job Mgr-job

Holder:Adams

Holder:Smith

Holder:Jones

Holder:Heinz

Quiz for an Organizational Chart


Standard Enhancement

Workflows Workflow templatesWorkflow templates

Standard tasksStandard tasks

Standard object typesStandard object types

Standard methodsStandard methods

Standard eventsStandard events

Standard rolesStandard roles

Extended or new workflow templatesExtended or new workflow templates

New standard tasksNew standard tasks

New types or subtypesNew types or subtypes

New attributesNew attributes

New methodsNew methods

New rolesNew roles

Create customer org structureCreate customer org structure

New eventsNew events

Create customer org structureCreate customer org structure

Organizational Structure

Roles

Object types

Tasks

Conclusion: Standard or Enhanced

SAP Workflow Course

Section 7: Templates Unit 3: Applying Workflow


Applying Workflow to Your Business

Contents:

• Templates versus workflow from scratch


Applying Workflow to Your Business: Objectives

• At the conclusion of this section, you will be able to:

• Describe situations for using workflow with and without templates

• Identify situations where programming is necessary


Applying Workflow to Your Business: Business Scenario

• A you look through the original requirements for your business processes, you realize that not every situation is supported by a workflow template


1. Identify the business process 1. Identify the business process

Does a SAP template already

exist in the standard system?

A.1 Is the Template sufficient?

A.2 Use as is

B.1 Describe the process in detail

B.2 Design the process

B.3 Implement the process

Individual steps:

NONO

YESYES

YESYES

NONO

A.3 Extend or enhance a template

Templates or New Workflow?


In our company, each time a material is changed,

the agent responsible should examine this change

and then decide whether the change

is acceptable or whether it should

be cancelled .

?

NONO

YESYES

Deciding to Workflow: Example


"Can I implement thisscenario with SAPBusiness Workflow?"

????YESYES NONO

Yes! You can implement

this scenario...

Material changedMaterial changed

Display materialDisplay material

Decision:acceptchange?

Decision:acceptchange?

change materialchange material

End scenarioEnd scenario

Can I Implement Workflow: Example


Change materialChange material

Decision: accept

change?

Decision: accept

change?

Only certain materials?Only certain materials?

With extra information?With extra information?

Otherpossibilities?Otherpossibilities?

Additional steps?Additional steps? End scenarioEnd scenario

Material changedMaterial changed

Display material Display material

... oror variationsvariationsof this scenario ...of this scenario ...

... oror variationsvariationsof this scenario ...of this scenario ...

Additional material lists?Additional material lists?

Start again (loop)?Start again (loop)?

YESYES ?? NONO

Business Process and Workflow: Example


Involved agents

employee HRemployee Objects Additional notesActivities

Create a notification of absence Leave account

In case of rejection:Employee can delete their notification or change it End of processLeave account

Leave account

Approve or reject

Release the notification

ok

End of process

Leave account

Leave account

Every employee can delete his/her notifications at any time

Leave account Necessary? Is the function ‚delete or change‘ after rejection sufficient?

The process will be repeated in case of changes

ok

End of process

Leave account

Leave account

Process: Notification of absenceCreation date: 16.12.99

Created by: Th. Krauss

superior

Document the Business Process (Example)


Involved users

Objects Additional notesActivities

Process:Creation date:

Created by:

Document the Business Process


When is Programming Required?

• Role resolution

– When role resolution via SAP organizational objects or evaluation paths are not sufficient

• Event creation

– When flexible event creation options are not sufficient

• Additional object methods

– When simply calling a transaction or report is not sufficient

• Additional object attributes

– When virtual attributes are needed


1Day

MO DI MI DO FR SA SO

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Day(s)

MO DI MI DO FR SA SO18

152128

29

162229

310172330

411182431

5121925

6132026

7142127

Week(s)

• Type 1: Use of existing SAP Workflow templates– FI invoice approval

– MM purchase requisition approval

– AM mass change of assets

– PM, SM task processing

• Type 2: Adaptation of Workflow templates– HR templates as starting points

– MM purchase requisition as a starting point

– ECM as a starting point

– QM as a starting point

• Type 3: Custom processes "from scratch"– SD delivery management / credit memo handling

– PP material master data maintenance

Workflow Project Approaches And Experiences


BC - Workflow Roles: Overview

• Prerequisites

– There are activity groups in the system for all workflow roles. If you assign these to a user, a role-based user menu is available on the SAP Easy Access screen

– Role-based documentation and role-based activity groups are closely coordinated

• Features

– The workflow roles are based on the assumption of a particular way of working with SAP Business Workflow. It is assumed that IMG activities are already complete

– The workflow roles used are stylized. But they can also be used in your organization if you work in a different way.


Workflow Roles Activity Groups

BC - Workflow Roles and Activity Groups

Process Consultant Business Workflow: Implementation teamBPT: Business Workplace for all user

Workflow Modeler Business Workflow: DeveloperBPT: Business Workplace for all user

Workflow Programmer Business Workflow: Developer

BPT: Business Workplace for all user

Workflow System Administrator Business Workflow: AdministratorBPT: Business Workplace for all user

Workflow Agent BPT: Business Workplace for all user

Process Controller Business Workflow: Process ControllerBPT: Business Workplace for all user


SAP Authorizations

• S_WF_ALL: All SAP Business Workflow authorizations

• S_WF_PROCORG: Template of a profile for a process organizer

• S_WF_USER: Template of a profile for a task agent

• S_WF_WFADMIN: Template of a profile for a workflow system administrator


Steps of a workflow project (1)

Step 1: Preliminary work

What to do:

– Define the project team(System administrator, process consultant, process administrator, workflow developer, HR administrator, end user, representative from the management)

– Specify the project goals

Result

– Users are assigned to the different roles

– A central documentation exists

– The goals must be clearly stated so that the direction is clear to everyone involved in the project



Step 2: Selection of the process

What to do:

– Select possible processes for a workflow projectAt the end you should know: actual lead- and transport times, interfaces, responsible agents, steps of the processes

– Cataloging of processesCriteria can be: costs/benefits, feasibility, department criteria, workload

– Decide which process should be implemented

– Define the project team(System administrator, process consultant, process administrator, workflow developer, HR administrator, end user, representative from the management)

– Describe the major steps of the processdescribe the conditions in which the process should start/end



Step 3: Designing the workflow process

What to do:

– Establish the workflow design: detailed description of the steps of the business process

– Find out who is responsible for the single steps

– Check the availability of standard functions

– Perform the application customizing

– Regular reviews with end users ( = process users)

– Clarify, who will be the administrator responsible for the workflow

– Train the persons responsible for implementing the workflow

Result:

– A detailed description of the business process exists and can be used for the implementation of the workflow



Step 4: Realization of the workflow

What to do:

– Customizing within R/3

– Develop the workflow (BOR, Workflow Builder)

– If necessary: create tasks and object types, enhance object types

– Check whether further interfaces are necessary(e.g. SAP Connect, SAP ArchiveLink, SAPforms)

– Define authorizations and the PD organization model

– Create documentation

– Regular reviews with all those involved

– Check the interface acceptance

– User tests

Result

– The workflow has been defined and runs correctly. User documentation exists.



• Step 5: Go live and support

What to do:

– Final end user training

– Preparation in the production system

– What to do in the first week of going live: productive test/check of the functions

– One month after going live: review workflow with the end users/review workflow statistics to detect possible bottle necks

Result

– The workflow has gone live and is being used in the production environment

– Ideally you should be able to estimate the current costs per process and compare this with the old process in a report for the management

– Other processes in need of optimizing may well be suggested.


Factors for success (1)

• Co-operation between user department and IT-department

• Active support from the management

• Clear decision-making structures

• If necessary: involve the works council asap

• Check the political and organizational conditions

• Well prepared project management, logical procedures

• Discuss the benefits of the workflow projectsdo not concentrate only on saving personal costs

• Convince the end user.


Factors for success (2)

• Involve the end user in the process

• Project marketing: publish every successful step

• Careful process selection for first project

• Determine administrative responsibility for the generated workflow

• Document the processes implemented

• Extensive testing

• Train the project team and the end users

• Create optimum conditions for ergonomic work environment


Applying Workflow to Your Business: Summary

• The realization of your business processes is possible by:

– using an existing SAP workflow template

– extending or enhancing a SAP template

– building your own workflow from scratch

• Many workflows can be implemented without programming

SAP Workflow Course

PwC ConsultingTM refers to the management consulting services businesses of the member firms of the worldwide PricewaterhouseCoopers organisation.

2001 PricewaterhouseCoopers. All rights reserved.

07 a 01templates

Business

templates asset management

workflow review

applications workflow

workflow runtime

sap workflows

asset retirement

release change

business processes